Garments having an elastic waistband



July 16, 1963 B. L. GARMENTS HAVING AN ELASTIC ZINS v 3, WAISTBAND WITH AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE WAIST MEASUREMENTS Filed May 18, 1960 United States Patent GARMENTS HAVING AN ELASTIC WAISTBAND WITH AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE WAIST MEASUREMENTS Ber] Leih Zins, 13bis Ave. Foch, Marcq-en-Baroeul, France Filed May 18, 1960, Ser. No. 29,884 Claims priority, application France May 20, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 2-237) The present invention relates to garments having an elastic waistband and more particularly to such garments with an adjustable waist.

Trousers or similar garments equipped with an elastic waistband permanently stitched on to the front and rear portions of the trousers cannot be sold for use for different waist measurements, because even though the elastic waistband will itself accommodate variations in waist measurements the trouser cloth is not elastic and cannot itself be subjected to such variations unless it is provided with a sufiicient number of fold-ins, which would then be detrimental to the appearance of the garment.

In known garments of the type having an elastic waistband and adapted for accommodating waist measurements which vary over a given range, there is provided, for each pocket, an amplitude plait formed over the inner surface of the pocket and joined to the elastic waistband by extensible means, a portion of each front section of the garment being disunited from the elastic waistband so that automatic adjustment of the waist measurement is obtained by deformation of the amplitude plait under the opposed forces exerted by the extensible means and by the portion of the elastic waistband which is disunited from the front section of the garment.

The present invention has for an object to provide garments of the character described wherein the elastic waistband is of the type described in US. Patent No. 2,757,381. Said waistband comprises an upper elastic band offering substantial resistance to tension and joined to a lower elastic band offering resistance to tens-ion less than that of said upper band through the medium of a thin intermediate band of inelastic extensible fabric, the upper band projecting above the trousers top, the upper edge of which is only stitched to the intermediate band, while the lower band is freely suspended in the trousers.

The invention is more advantageously usable for trousers of all types, and including knee breeches, shorts, work tunics provided with braces, overalls, jodhpurs as well as feminine wearing apparel as for example skirts.

Other particularities of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings provided by way of example only and not in a limiting sense, and which will give a clear understanding of how the invention may be performed. In the drawings;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, from the inside, of the area of the left-hand pocket of a pair of trousers according .to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial elevational view from the outside of a pair of trousers according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the area of the right-hand pocket of a pair of trousers according to another embodiment.

The drawings refer to assembly methods employed for trousers, but such assembly methods according to the invention are applicable to all forms of Wearing apparel provided with pockets and an elastic waistband of the type described in said US. Patent No. 2,757,381.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the trousers comprise a front section 1 and a back section 2, as well as a waistband of the type described in the aforementioned patent. Said waistband comprises an upper elastic band 21 offering a great resistance to elongation and joined to a lower elastic band 22 offering a resistance to elongation less than that of said upper hand through the medium of a thin band of inelastic extensible fabric 23, the band 21 projecting above the trousers top, the upper edge of which is only stitched on the band 23 on the inner side of the trousers, while the lower band 22 hangs up freely in the trousers. In FIG. 1, for the sake of clarity, the bands 21, 22 and 23 are assumed to be transparent on a level with the pieces of cloth forming part of the illustrated trousers.

Only the upper edges of sections 1 and 2 are stitched on the inelastic extensible intermediate band 23. The front section 1 bounds the pocket hole 4. The pocket pouch 5 includes an inner gore 6 which is stitched along its rear lateral edge, together with this pouch, on the inelastic extensible band 23 up to the point 7 with a view to obtaining a zone 8 of the upper edges of said pouch and inner gore which is completely disunited from the elastic waistband for a length of several centimetres from the pocket hole 4 to the rear part of the gore 6 and designated by the numeral 9. In addition, the front part of the pouch is sewn to the front section 1 and forms an amplitude plait 10 which follows the zone 8 and the upper edge of which is therefore disunited from the elastic waistband. This amplitude plait is joined to the front section 1 of the trousers by an elastic tape 11.

The trousers with an elastic waistband as described above can vary to accommodate different size waists. A minimum size waist corresponds to a position in which the pocket hole 4 is close to the stitching 19 joining the back section and the pocket gore. If it is desired to adjust to a larger size, a pull is exented on the waistband and the elastic tape 11 simultaneously in reverse directions, which in turn causes the intermediate amplitude plait 10 to unfold. At the same time, the elastic bands 21 and 22 of the waistband are themselves deformed by stretching over the length of the waistband part 9, the latter not being joined to the trousers.

The whole assembly is deformed by a pivoting motion of the pocket hole 4 about the bottom extremity of the latter, in the area of maximum size of the trousers. Simultaneously the elastic tape 11 acts as a means for supporting said amplitude plait in order to prevent any tearing of the pocket pouch through its part disunited from the garment and any projection of said plait through the pocket hole.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the inner pocket gore 62, which is connected by stitching with the back section 2e, is fully secured on the elastic waistband. This gore is joined at 14, in the normal way, to the inelastic extensible band 23a of that waistband in the region of the back section 2e, and the pocket pouch 5e which r it covers is joined to the band 23e of the waistband at 15 by a series of fold-ins 16 in the region where the front section la is joined to that band 23c. The pocket hole 42 extends up to the level of the waistband, in such a way that the front section 12 is disunited from the waistband over that part of its length which covers the pocket. Support for the pocket hole 4e is provided by a slider 17 fixed nearits top end and a slideway 18 fixed along the length of tlge junction line 14 of the gore with the elastic Waistban In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the waist measurement is increased by elastic elongation of the elastic waistband and simultaneous gradual elimination of the fold-ins 16 which stretch out as they are flattened, the slider 17 simultaneously moving on the slideway 18, which results in a pivoting of the pocket hole 4e about the extremity 20a of said hole.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 elements similar to those in FIG. 1 bear the same reference numerals followed by the letter i. The back section j of the garment is fixed to the inelastic extensible intermediate band 23 by a seam 28, but the front section 1 is extended up to the top of the elastic waistband, i.e., the top of the upper elastic ban-d 211. The inner pocket gore 6'j and the pocket pouch are entirely disunited from the waistband and extend upwardly to lie in registry with intermediate band 23f while said pocket pouch is fixed to the front section 1 from the pocket hole 4j up to the vicinity of the amplitude plait 107'. The front section 1 is also disunited from the elastic waistband from the pocket hole 4 up to 29, well beyond the pocket pouch, from which point onwards it is once more secured to the inelastic extensible intermediate band 23 by a seam 30. The portion of the front section which covers the elastic waistband is extended from the pocket hole 4 onwards by a strap 31 which wraps around the arm 32 of a buckle 33 fixed to the elastic band 211' by a tape 34 in vertical alignment with the lateral seam 42 of the trousers. This strap then passes through a belt loop 36 fixed to the outer surface of the elastic band 21 through a belt loop 37 fixed to the front section 1 through a belt loop 38 fixed to the inner surface of the elastic band 21 and is then joined, at 39, to an elastic tape 40 which is itself secured to the elastic band 21j. The elastic tape 11 connected to the amplitude plait of the pocket pouch, is stitched to the inner face of the front section 1 at 41, just below the elastic waistband. If desired, the strap 31 may be of adjustable length and the elastic tape 40 can be dispensed with.

In order to obtain a larger size, a simultaneous pull is exerted on the elastic waistband 21, 2 2 23j which is entirely free from 34 to 29 and on the elastic tape 11 the front section 1j being stretched by the action of the strap 31 on the fixed point constituted by the buckle 33. At the same time, the buckle and the belt loops 36, 37 and 38 provide support for the pocket hole 4 and said strap 31.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment having an elastic waistband with automatically adjustable fit of the waist and of the type in which each side pocket pouch is formed between its inner gore and the pocket hole with an amplitude plait having a portion, furthest from the garment, which is joined to the inner surface of said garment by an internal extensible means, and in which the top of said pocket hole and that of the rear lateral edge of said inner gore are united to the elastic waistband and to the garment while the upper edge of said amplitude plait and that of said inner gore till its rear lateral edge are disunited from the clastic waistband, the improvement comprising an elastic waistband including an upper elastic band offering substantial resistance to tension projecting over the top edge of the garment, a lower elastic band connected to theupper band and ofiering resistance to tension which is less than that of said upper band and a thin inelastic extensible band freely suspending the lower elastic band in the garment, said extensible band having an outer face which is connected to the top edge of the garment, the inner gores and pocket pouches being disunited from the waistband over the length of said inelastic extensible band.

2. In a garment having an elastic waistband with automatically adjustable fit of the waist and of the type in which each side pocket pouch has an inner gore which is formed with front and rear plaits, the portion of one of 'said plaits, furthest from the garment, being joined to the inner surface of the corresponding front and rear garment portion by an elastic top, and in which the top of the pocket hole and that of the rear lateral edge of said inner gore are united to the elastic waistband and respectively to the front and rear portions of the garment while the upper edge of one of said plaits and that of said inner gore to the rear lateral edge thereof are disunited from the elastic waistband, the improvement comprising an elastic waistband constituted by an upper elastic band d offering substantial resistance to tension projecting over the top edge of the garment, a lower elastic band connected to the upper band and offering resistance to tension which is less than that of said upper band and a thin in elastic extensible band freely suspending the lower elastic band in the garment, said extensible band having an outer face to which is connected the top edge of the garment, the pocket pouch and inner gore being disunited from the waistband over the length of said inelastic extensible band.

3. In a garment having an elastic waistband with automatically adjustable fit of the waist and of the type in which side pocket pouches are provided, each said pouch having an amplitude plait between an inner gore and the pocket hole, which pouch furthest from the garment is joined to the inner surface of said garment by an internal extensible means, and in which the upper edge of said amplitude plait, that of said inner gore, and the rear part of the front portion of the garment from the pocket hole over at least the length of said front portion which recovers the pocket pouch are disunited from the elastic waistband while the free edge of the pocket hole is supported by a slidable means, the improvement comprising an elastic waistband is of the type including an upper elastic band offering great resistance to tension and projecting over the top edge of the garment, a lower elastic band connected to the upper band and offering resistance to tension less than that of said upper band, a thin inelastic extensible band freely suspending the lower elastic band in the garment, said extensible band having an outer face to which is connected the top edge of the garment, the garment front section, pocket pouches and inner gores being disunited from the waistband over the length of said inelastic extensible band.

4. In a garment with front and rear sections having an elastic waistband with automatically adjustable fit of the waist and of the type in which each side pocket pouch is formed between its inner gore and the pocket hole with an amplitude plait the portion of which, furthest from the garment, is joined to the inner surface of the garment front section by an internal extensible means while said garment front section is upwardly extended to the top of the elastic waistband from which it is disunited from the pocket hole up to well ahead of said internal extensible means, said garment front section being extended at its upper part from the pocket hole by a strap of cloth passing through a buckle fixed on the elastic waistband and through holding means disposed in the interval between the elastic waistband and the disunited part of the garment front section while an elastic tape located in said interval connects the end of said strap and the elastic waistband, the improvement being constituted by an elastic waistband which includes an upper elastic band offering great resistance to tension and projecting over the top edge of the garment, a lower elastic band ofiering resistance to tension less than that of said upper band and connected to the upper band, and a thin inelastic extensible band freely supporting the lower elastic band in the garment, said extensible band having an outer face to which alone the top edge of the garment is connected, the buckle, the holding means and the elastic tape all being fixed to the upper elastic band, the front section covering said upper elastic band being fixed to the inelastic extensible band and disunited from the elastic waistband.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,030 Bardsley Sept. 24, 1940 2,281,086 Blankenhorn Apr. 28, 1942 2,599,983 Fanning June 10, 1952 2,757,381 Le Cottier et al Aug. 7, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,042,489 Germany Nov. 6, 1958 1,064,032 Germany Apr. 2, 1959 

1. IN A GARMENT HAVING AN ELASTIC WAISTBAND WITH AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE FIT OF THE WAIST AND OF THE TYPE IN WHICH EACH SIDE POCKET POUCH IS FORMED BETWEEN ITS INNER GORE AND THE POCKET HOLE WITH AN AMPLITUDE PLAIT HAVING A PORTION, FURTHEST FROM THE GARMENT, WHICH IS JOINED TO THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID GARMENT BY AN INTERNAL EXTENSIBLE MEANS, AND IN WHICH THE TOP OF SAID POCKET HOLE AND THAT OF THE REAR LATERAL EDGE OF SAID INNER GORE ARE UNITED TO THE ELASTIC WAISTBAND TO THE GARMENT WHILE THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID AMPLITUDE PLAIT AND THAT OF SAID INNER GORE TILL ITS REAR LATERAL EDGE ARE DISUNITED FROM THE ELASTIC WAISTBAND, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN ELASTIC WAISTBAND INCLUDING AN UPPER ELASTIC BAND OFFERING SUBSTANTIAL RESISTANCE OF TENSION PROJECTING OVER THE TOP EDGE OF THE GARMENT, A LOWER ELASTIC BAND CONNECTED TO THE UPPER BAND AND OFFERING RESISTANCE TO TENSION WHICH IS LESS THAN THAT OF SAID UPPER BAND AND A THIN INELASTIC ENTENSIBLE BAND FREELY SUSPENDING THE LOWER ELASTIC BAND IN THE GARMENT, SAID EXTENSIBLE BAND HAVING AN OUTER FACE WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE TOP EDGE OF THE GARMENT, THE INNER GORES AND POCKET POUCHES BEING DISUNITED FROM THE WAISTBAND OVER THE LENGTH OF SAID INELASTIC EXTENSIBLE BAND. 